Track-scraper for street-railways



(No Model.) 8

G. W. DAVIS.

TRACK SORAPEE FOR STREET RAILWAYS. No. 378,292. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

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GEORGE W. DAVIS, OF HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

TRACK-SCRAPER FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,292. dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed November 23, 1887. Serial No. 256.021. I (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hot Springs, in the county of Garland and State of Arkansas, have invented anewand useful 1m provemcnt in Scrapers and Steel Brushes for Street-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of trackcleaners that are carried on the passenger-cars of street-railways, the object being to construct at a reasonable cost a cleaner that shall be reliable in actionand simple in detail, and one that shall be easy of operation.

I am aware that it is old to clean tracks by means of scrapers and brushes, and do not, therefore, broadly claim such devices as my invent-ion.

It consists, therefore, of means whereby scraping-blades are operated and attached, and in the peculiar shape of said blades,in brushes made of stiff material of sufficient stiffness to break up and render more easily removable the ice, snow, or other obstruction desired removed, and other details, all of which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and theparts thought to be new pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my device, partly in section, showing the details of one end of a car, both ends being duplicates. Means for ventilating the car are also shown in this figure. Fig. 2 is a side view of the car, further showing the device. In this figure the pulverizing-brush is shown only on the left-hand end of its shaft, the corresponding one on the other end of the shaft being removed to show the conformation of the bottom edge of the scraper to the track, as hereinafter fully described. Fig. 3is atop view, further shgwing the form of the scraper.

In the figures, like referencemarks indicating corresponding parts in the several views, A are the scrapers, which are best shown in Figs. 1. and 3, the latter figure being a de tail. The scrapers are preferably of about the form shown, and have a bottom edge of such a conformation as to fit nearly in shape to the top of the rail; of whatever kind it may be, and extend toward the center of the track a sufficient distance to clear a space for the passage of the flange of the wheel. It is necessary that the shape of the bottom ed go of the scrapscrapers are carried on the free ends of the spring-levers B, said levers being pivoted on the pins or screws 1) between the head and the pin 2). These spring-leversB may be made to spring throughout their entirelength, or they may only spring for a part of their length, as in either case an elastic contact with the track would be accomplished, which is necessary in order that the scrapers may not catch on any irremovablc obstacle-ms, for instance,the end of a rail which has sprung up. Ido not, however, confine myself to the specificinanner of pivoting shown, as many other ways would suffice. I prefer the pivoting of the levers B, as shown, by means of the screw 1), having the pin Z2, inasmuch as by means of this screw it the lever, and hence the scrapers and pulverizer, may be adjusted in height fromthe track, and in localities where it is not necessary to use this device continuously it may be readily removed, and replaced when again required.

Near the point of attachment of the scrapers A are the brackets or extensions 0 from the levers B, for the purpose of carrying the shaft of the pulverizing wheels or brushes 0. These pulverizers are made in the form of a very stiff brush, having teeth projecting from a central core of wood or metal and of a sufficient stiffness to pulverize and prepare the ice, hard snow, and other obstruction for ready removal by the scraper-blades A. The shaft D, which carries the pulverizersand is itself carried by the arms 0, has a sprocket-wheel, d, which is driven by a belt from the sprocket-wheel don the axle that is nearest the end of the car on which this device is shown. On the axle and engaging with the sprocket-wheel d is a clutch, d, for the purpose, by its engagement and disengagement, of starting and stopping the pulverizers G, the clutch being capable of movement longitudinally and revolving positively with the shaft.

At times when the scrapers and pulverizers are not needed, and consequently the sprocket-wheel d would be otherwise superfluous, the belt a. may be made slightly longer and extended to a sprocket-wheelon the shaft 6, for

the openings shown directly under the fan in Fig. 1. The air of course may be distributed through the car in any approved manner. The rotary motion may be transmitted from the shaft 6 to the fan F by means of the miter-gearingf. The fan will only benecessary when the scrapers and pulverizers are not in use; hence only one sprocket-wheel is required on the car-axle, although simply by the addition of a second sprocket on the axle both might be run at the same time.

The levers B, hinged on the screw b or otherwise, have at the end opposite the place of attachment of the scrapers A and pulverizers 0 means of attachment of a hand or foot bar, E, as shown. On the platform is the catch e, for engagement with the bar E, when up, for the purpose of keeping the front ends of the levers pressed down, and hence the scrapers and pulverizers up and out of contact with the track,in whichposition they will of course cease to perform their functions. The screws 1) may be turned in or out, as required, to adjust the height of the pulverizers and scrapers to make up for any variations that might oc our in the height of the car from the track in consequence of the settling of the springs or for other reason.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a street-car, a track-cleaning device consisting of the scrapers A and the pulverizers 0, carried on the frame of the car, the pulverizers being revolved by belt-connection with the axle of the car, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a street-car,a track-cleaning device consisting of the levers B, the scrapers A, the adjustable pivoting-screw b, the toothed actuating-bar E, and the pawl e, all combined and operating substantially as described.

Given under my hand this the 24th day of i 

